The Edge of the Summer Cloud
by N.Mirz
Summary: Mr. Bates, the Rochesters new neighbor is very curious about their past and heres the tale from the very same inn keeper of George's inn. The story from servants point of view! I changed my mind about the ending and declare this one complete.
1. The Inn Keeper's Tale

Disclaimer: Most unfortunately these characters do not belong to me

**Ch 1 :The Innkeeper's Tale**

It was a fine evening and Mr. Bates had just returned from Thornfield where he had gone to visit his new neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Rochester. They were an attractively mysterious couple and he wished to know more about them. He stopped at the George's inn on his way home and while the inn keeper brought him some tea he said:

"Sir would you sit with me for some time?"

"yes, of course."

"I presume you know Mr. and Mrs. Rochester?"

"Yes sir, I used to work for Mr. Rochester's father."

"Did you? Well, may be then you could give me some information?"

'Any thing, sir."

"I mean about the present couple. They seem to be a queer pairing!"

"Theirs is a long tale, sir."

"No matter, I like long tales."

"Then I'll start from the very beginning. Well after the old Mr. Rochester died, Mr. Rowland dismissed me. (It was then that I opened this inn.)I was really upset to leave Thornfield where I had lived for so long. I never liked Mr. Rowland much. Even as children, Mr. Edward was more of a gentleman than his brother was although Mr. Rowland set their father against his younger son whom after his departure for America (so I was told) I didn't see after 4 years when Mr. Rowland died.

From what I heard from the servants Mr. Edward had become a surly man and was not as lively as he used to be. They said that he had brought with him a servant; a Mrs. Poole who they said received more salary than any other at the Hall. She was our constant customer usually for buying gin. I saw that she was a reserved person and never talked much so I never ventured to ask her anything.

Mr. Edward, I heard left England after two weeks and rarely visited Thornfield although whenever he stayed, it was for utmost a fortnight, hardly even that much. On one of the last days of December Mrs. Fairfax, the old house keeper sent Leah and John, the footman, to buy a huge list of so many things, Leah who was a friend of my wife told us that Mr. Rochester had given a splendid Christmas party and had invited a great many ladies and gentlemen of rank. When the party was over he packed again and left the country. Some years went by and he seldom came to England except for business and left as soon as possible. It went on like this until one day Leah and Grace came to the inn. I heard Leah's conversation with my wife while I was getting another bottle of gin for Grace.

"So, Leah, your master has come back?"

"Yes, but I don't think he'll stay."

"But maybe he would this time. You say he's brought a child with him."

"Yes, she is a little French girl."

"Whose child is it? Certainly not his?"

"I don't know; I don't think so. She doesn't look like him at all. But he has told Mrs. Fairfax to find a governess for her."

"So this means she is to stay at Thornfield?"

"I suppose so."

"Leah!" called Grace from the other side of the room. "Coming" she replied and turning again to my wife said "Lets just hope that she'll stay because the house is too dull with the master always away!"

After they were gone I turned to my wife

"Well, Eliza, what was all that about?"

"Servants gossip of the day. They say the master of Thornfield has returned and brought a little girl with him. Do you think it is his child?"

"No Mr. Edward is too much of a gentleman to have a daughter out side marriage."

"Well" said my wife sarcastically "if its possibility is there it reduces his gentlemanly credit."

"I don't even believe that there is any possibility of it."

"Why do you back him up so much?"

'He is a Goodman"

"No doubt about that; but it doesn't mean that he wouldn't…."

"I think that's enough Elizabeth" I said louder than her to interrupt her saying anything inappropriate in front of children who had just come in.

After some weeks, word reached that he had again left and the Hall was back in routine with the exception of a child and her nurse, both foreign until one night a lady arrived here. My wife's brother was helping us that night as the inn was busy.

He came up to me:

"Jack, a lady here wants to know if there's been anyone waiting for Jane Eyre."

If I knew who that lady was to be I would have certainly gone to see her myself but instead I sent my brother in law to answer her in the negative. After some time John (Thornfield's footman) came.

"Hello John, want a drink?"

"No, thank you."

"Then if you have not come for a drink what have you come for then?"

"The little French girl's governess was to arrive here tonight."

"What's her name?"

"Jane Eyre"

"Oh, she went upstairs. She was waiting here for some time then grew tired and went up. I'll send someone to fetch her."

Some months passed, Mr. Bates, and at intervals I heard from the servants of the Hall that she was doing well. Leah liked her and so did Mrs. Fairfax. Once Mary, John's wife who cooks there, told me that Mrs. Fairfax has grown happier than before ever since Miss Eyre had come.

Then on one cold evening of January, I saw John riding through the night. I stopped him.

"Where are you bound to at this hour?"

"Going to fetch Mr. Carter."

"The physician? Is there something wrong?"

"No, only Mr. Rochester is back and he sprained his ankle in an accident on the road."

As he was in a hurry I didn't delay him. So he was back again! I expected that e would resume his wanderings around the world and as I didn't see the servants of the Hall for sometime I had no idea that Mr. Edward had remained at home for two months until Mrs. Fairfax sent some servants with another of those rare, long lists.

"Leah has Mr. Rochester come home again?"

"Oh, no. He has been staying at Thornfield since he returned last time until a fortnight ago when he went to one of these grand parties exactly the day after the fire."

"The fire? What fire?"

"Oh you didn't know?"

"Know about what?" Asked my wife from the kitchen.

"That Mr. Rochester was almost burnt in his bed."

"Burnt?" We both said in surprise

"Oh, he is alright only the bed and the curtains were damaged."

"What caused the fire?"

"We were told that master was reading in bed and forgot to blow out the candle before he slept but I don't think that's the case."

"Why not?"

"I don't know but I felt that Miss Eyre knew something about that night. I think she was in the master's bedroom during the fire."

"Miss Eyre?"

"She's the governess."

"I know but what would _she_ do in his bedroom? What makes you say such a thing?" said my wife.

"You may think me horrid for this but…um…well, the day when Mr. Rochester left, in the evening, I went to Miss Eyre's room, thinking that she may be there because she had finished with Miss Adele's lessons, to tell her to come down for tea. When after twice knocking she didn't answer, I went inside and found her night gown left on her bed and I saw that it was a little burnt on its lower edges. I think she hadn't noticed it that she didn't mend it."

"Well, there could be other reasons…"

"I don't think so. Anyway she is so close to him, you know."

"Who?" my wife asked

"Obviously, I'm talking about master and Miss Eyre." Leah said impatiently.

"He is always after her. I should be going now or Mrs. Fairfax will get angry. There's a lot of work to be done. Master is going to bring a party of those rich, fashionable people with him and I guess they're going to stay for some time. Goodbye."

She left leaving us musing astounded at what we had heard.

To be continued…


	2. The Inn Keeper's Tale part two

The innkeeper's tale part 2

All reviews are very welcome!

The innkeeper's tale part 2

Weeks Passed and we didn't hear much about Thornfield and eventually forgot what we had heard, putting it in the category of what my wife called 'servants gossip'. The party of the noblemen assembled there had of course brought their valets and maids with them, so they sometimes visited us here when they were free to 'be rid of orders' as we heard one of them say. From what they said we could make out that Mr. Edward was courting one of the beautiful, rich ladies called Miss Ingram, if I am not mistaken. As this seemed more possible, we believed _her_ to be the future Mrs. Rochester as did everyone else. The party at last dissembled and Mr. Rochester went away to London to probably prepare the necessary arrangements for his wedding.

So long as Mr. Rochester was at home, the servants rarely got the chance to come and visit us especially during the party except Mrs. Poole and from her you couldn't get any sort of news so, without news we were left until a week later when my wife was affronted by a much apprehended Mrs. Fairfax by chance on the road. She later told me all about their conversation.

"Why Alice, you look so troubled what's the matter?"

Mrs. Fairfax was at first surprised to hear her first name but seeing my wife gave her a hasty smile.

"Oh, it is you, Eliza? Nothing, nothing, _I_ am fine."

"We used to be close friends and still are although we don't see each other much. I don't remember that we ever kept anything from each other."

"Oh, maybe I could unburden myself to you, I am so astounded."

"Why? What's the matter?" She asked again.

"It's about Miss Eyre. I don't think you know her but she is a very nice and sensible young lady, very understanding and I'm worried about her." she hesitated. "Well, it sounds very strange but Mr. Rochester… he told me that he intends to marry her. I had suspected that he felt deeply for her but never expected him to marry her and thought her too sensible to allow him … to let him …."

"Oh my" was all Elizabeth could say. "It's not appropriate" she heard her murmur.

She could sense that it was more to it than that because, although it was unusual, there could be no other reason why she should be so worried.

"I had always been uneasy at his marked preference for her." She continued presently. "He sent for her every evening after she had returned from her aunt's house. I could some times hear their chatter and laughter when I passed the dinning room's door, she seemed to be happy with him and depressed at all other times and this made me uneasy as she also kept asking me about his marriage to Miss Ingram. I tried to convince myself that she didn't want to depress him as well with her despondent countenance. But the sad look in her eyes when she asked me the same question everyday broke me down so I, at last, put the question to himself one day and he answered: "_I _am to be married Mrs. Fairfax. Why are _you_ in such a hurry?" I really couldn't make out anything of that. And finally last night, when I was searching for her through the house and couldn't find her, I realized that master was no where either. I grew really worried; for her sake. Then at midnight when I was going upstairs, I saw them coming in from the orchard together. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that he was kissing her and she was allowing it. Neither of them saw me at the time but as Miss Eyre came up the stairs she smiled to me and almost ran to her room. I couldn't sleep that night …"

She had turned pale as she narrated this so my wife invited her to the inn where she may recover before going. She thanked her but said that the couple had gone to Milcote to purchase some wedding accessories and she must be home before they return.

It certainly was a shocking event but we couldn't see then why Mrs. Fairfax was so worried for _her_ sake so long as they were going to get married.

A month went by indicating the wedding day to come nearer. But Mr. Bates you can't imagine the disaster that day brought along. The rumor was spread through the whole Milcote. It was said that the wedding was interrupted by a Mr. Mason who turned out to be Mr. Rochester's brother in law! I couldn't believe it when I heard that Mr. Edward was already married and that _his wife_ was now mad.

The lunatic who was locked up at the Hall was always thought to be Mr. Edward's illegitimate sister or maybe former mistress whom he had brought from abroad. For us it was really tragic because we didn't believe that either.

Well Miss Eyre left Thornfield and quite suddenly and without notice. Perhaps that was the worst part of it. Poor Mr. Edward turned desperate when he lost her. He couldn't bear it. He wouldn't even hear of her name. Neighbors said that they could see him wandering here and there at nights and servants said that he would lock himself up in his room all day and refused to eat.

Once John told me that Mr. Edward had gone to bed early; he hadn't eaten properly for days and was unwell. At the dead of the night he had started crying her name. Nobody said anything about that to him the next morning but all eyed him anxiously and tried to take extra care of him but apparently he didn't like that as the next day he dismissed most of the servants and found other situations for them. He sent Mrs. Fairfax to her friends with an annuity on her for life. I told you he was a generous man and even in his despair didn't neglect his duties as a good master.

He sent his ward, the little French girl to school and shut himself at the Hall all alone except for John and Mary. Leah was rather unwilling to leave this neighborhood so she came here to work for us and we happily accepted. And of course Mrs. Poole who, by the by was Mrs. Rochester's nurse and keeper kept her post."

"Did he never try to find her? Did he not search for her?" Mr. Bates asked.

"Well of course he did and for long. But he didn't find her. Some thought she had died for with all these efforts to find her she was never found. Perhaps it was this suggestion that turned Mr. Edward so restless and desperate.

Mary used to say that she had never seen anyone set such a store by his governess."

The clock struck ten and that seemed to bring Mr. Bates to himself. He got up.

"Thank you I was so engrossed in your story that I lost track of the time but I'm afraid I have to go. It's grown so late."

"Of course, sir. Shall I tell you the rest of the story another time?"

"Perhaps. Now if you excuse me…" he said moving towards the door. He wished the old innkeeper goodnight and left for home.

To be continued…


	3. The Next Morning

And in the End…

The Next Morning

Mr. Bates was wondering at the strangeness of his neighbor's past as he mounted his horse. He wondered how it would end. He seemed perfectly happy now. Surely, anyone with such a caring wife should feel happy. Mrs. Rochester was still more peculiar than her husband. She looked as if her age had added a lot of wisdom to her although she was still young. Her skin was rather too fair and she was quite small and obviously too young for her husband. At those few times that he had been there, he had seen how she stuck by her husband's side and he, too, took such pleasure by her presence that would become rather grim if she left for a few minutes.

He wondered who this lady had been and how did they meet. She couldn't possibly be the former governess, no; she didn't really look like one. In addition, after what the inn keeper had told him, that she had left, surely no women would come back. While thinking he felt pang of guilt at discovering their past without their consent but he shook the idea off.

He hadn't liked the other neighbors as much as he did the Rochesters. Mrs. Rochester was an amiable, kind lady and her husband was astute and adept although his face was rather ruined for a reason that Mr. Bates yet didn't know, his conversation was enjoyable to him. And still more he had liked their son, the 6-year-old Matthew, and Miss Varens as well.

But what he had heard was so unlikely and strange, he was rather eager to hear the rest of it. Only if he needn't be home! But his sister would have been worried. Caroline Bates was sick on that day and hadn't accompanied Mr. Bates to Thornfield much to Adele's and Mrs. Rochester's disappointment who had liked the young lady.

He wasn't sure if he should tell Caroline what he had learnt. He was somehow sure that she wouldn't approve of his knowing the things he was not supposed to know. 'She doesn't need to know.' He thought. 'But what excuse should I give her for being late?' He thought on this for some time and decided that he doesn't need to give full account of whatever he does to his younger sister!

He found her in the library.

"What, you're up yet?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Do you feel better?"

"Thanks to my dear brother no!" She said sarcastically "Do you think nothing of my poor nerves? Why were you so late? Where have you been?"

There she goes again, he thought. "Should you really know?"

"No if you don't want to tell me." She said, obviously hurt. She then got up bid him goodnight and went to her chamber.

He woke up with the sound of the singing birds in the nearby fields. He looked up at the clock on the table, next to his bed. "Oh, the good thing about today is going to Thornfield again." He said to himself as he looked into the mirror.

He was embarrassed when he discovered that he had been looking at the mirror pleased with his own face and yet he couldn't help feeling grateful for that smooth face and light brown eyes. For the dark brown locks of hair that covered his fine forehead. He had strong features, very manly but handsome at the same time. He wasn't very tall but had a fine masculine form too.

There was a knock at the door and he heard his sister's voice.

"Are you coming down for breakfast, David?"

"I'll be there in a minute." He answered.

The day was so fresh. The sky had a deep shade of light blue and here and there a small patch of white cloud adorned it. The fragrant of different spring flowers had filled the air. It was a prefect day for riding but Mr. Bates had another idea with which he planned to fill the morning.

The inn was almost empty except for two travelers who were having their breakfast at the other side of the room. It was lit by the rays of the golden sun gaining admittance from the clean windows. The old Jack saw Mr. Bates coming towards the inn and he chuckled to himself. "Is he as eager to hear their story as I am to narrate it?" he said to himself, smiling as he shook his head.

"You know it's not right to say all the details of Mr. Rochester's to a stranger. And they say women gossip!" his wife scolded.

He entered the inn as his wife returned to her kitchen. "Ah, Mr. Bates! So good to see you again!" "May I get you some breakfast?"

"No, Thank you I just had breakfast. Only a cup of tea if you please?"

"Of course."

When he came back Mr. Mates addressed him again.

"I depend that you know the reason for my coming here?"

"I can guess, sir." Said the innkeeper, smiling. Mr. Bated answered his smile and said

"Please, sit. Shall we continue with the rest of this charming tale? I declare I rather like hearing it."

"Of course, sir. Well as to continue:

As I said he broke off all acquaintance. Then two months after the governess had left a terrible catastrophe happened at Thornfield. The Hall was burnt to the ground. You can't imagine it. Nothing was left of it except a high shell-like wall. It turned out that Mr. Rochester's mad wife, although mad, was not ignorant. She was a cunning woman, once Grace told me when she was finally out of the secrecy's spell.

When Mrs. Poole was fast sleep due to the gin, she would use the opportunity to quit her prison. I heard that she had even enabled herself to posses a knife with which she stabbed her own brother who had come to visit from abroad to death and if it was not for Mr. Rochester poor Mr. Mason would have been dead by now.

It seemed that she had suspected something concerning Miss Eyre and her husband for she had made her way to her deserted room and had started the fire there. I believe that she somewhat liked messing around with fire for as you may guess she had something to do with her husband being almost burnt in his bed."

"You say Thornfield was burnt to the ground" Mr. Bates said confounded. "But I've been there many times and ….."

"Yes, I'm coming to that but now hear the rest of it. Mr. Rochester got all the servants out of their beds and helped them out and afterwards went upstairs to get his wife. But she was standing on the battlements and as he approached her, she jumped off the wall.

It was frightful. We saw it from here. And then the whole house fell with poor Mr. Edward in it."

"So that's where he got his deficiencies from! I always wondered." said the astonished man. He had seen Mr. Rochester's left eye and right hand but he had never dared to ask anything. His eye had rested on his right hand for sometime by mistake on the occasion of their first meeting until he felt Mrs. Rochester's critical eye upon him and offered his apologies.

"Yes, an awful tragedy. He just regained the sight of his right eye about six years ago." said the old innkeeper.

"So, if Mrs. Rochester is dead, who is the lady now living with him?"

"Good God, man! You didn't think she was the mad lady, did you?"

"Oh no…no of course not. I was just wondering… "

"Mr. Rochester, as you know, is a wealthy man and has many lands. After he regained consciousness, which itself took some days, he went to live in one his other states which he had nit let due to the unsuitableness of the conditions, the Ferndean Manor. Now with his conditions he was quite broken down. I did really pity him. He was a good man of a sort if it was not for his terrible mistake.

Well months passed like that. John told me that he wouldn't see anyone. Some of his former friends called on him but he denied all visitors except the physician, Mr. Carter and his solicitor. He was ever an independent man, and I think being reliant on others for his daily work didn't suit him at all.


	4. A Visitor

A Visitor

A Visitor

Then on one of the first bright days of June that were host to a young lady here. It was evident that she had been traveling for days or perhaps had run the last mile or two. She asked for some breakfast and as the inn was not busy on that day, I delivered it myself. To my surprise, she asked me to shut the door and sit down. She had some questions to ask. But when I sat down, her pale face was looking like a stone and her lips quivered. I was about to ask if she was alright when she at last started.

"You know Thornfield Hall, of course?"

I had narrated the story of the fire many times before and thought she is a stranger or perhaps a friend of Mr. Rochester's or the servants who had been absent for a long time and now seen the ruins had panicked and wanted to know the cause.

"Yes ma'am: I lived there once" I answered.

"Did you?" And she was thinking for sometime. To bring her back I added "I was the late Mr. Rochester's butler,"

"The late!" she almost screamed the words and jumped out of the chair. Reclaiming her tranquility, breathless whispered "Is he dead?" I could see the tears gathering in her eyes.

"I mean the present gentleman, Mr. Edward's father" I said and she became calmer.

"Is Mr. Rochester living at Thornfield Hall now?"

I was quite shocked to find her more ignorant than I had predicted.

"No, ma'am -- oh, no! No one is living there. I suppose you are a stranger in these parts, or you would have heard what happened last autumn, -- Thornfield Hall is quite a ruin: it was burnt down just about harvest-time. A dreadful calamity! Such an immense quantity of valuable property destroyed: hardly any of the furniture could be saved. The fire broke out at dead of night, and before the engines arrived from Millcote, the building was one mass of flame. It was a terrible spectacle: I witnessed it myself."

"At dead of the night?" She muttered under her lip. She was once more deep in thought. Her Eyes looked distant but recalling the present, she said

"Was it known how it originated?" She asked

"They guessed, ma'am: they guessed. Indeed, I should say it was ascertained beyond a doubt. You are not perhaps aware," and I lowered my tone "that there was a lady -- a -- a lunatic, kept in the house?"

"I've heard something of it." At least she knew _that._

"She was kept in very close confinement, ma'am: people even for some years were not absolutely certain of her existence. No one saw her: they only knew by rumour that such a person was at the Hall; and who or what she was it was difficult to conjecture. They said Mr. Edward had brought her from abroad, and some believed she had been his mistress. But a queer thing happened a year since -- a very queer thing."

I was about to tell her about the governess but she jumped in and said

"And this lady?"

"This lady ma'am," I answered "turned out to be Mr. Rochester's wife! The discovery was brought about in the strangest way. There was a young lady, a governess at the Hall, that Mr. Rochester fell in…." But she again interrupted me with "But the fire!," and I couldn't help wondering what was wrong with her!

"I'm coming to that, ma'am -- that Mr. Edward fell in love with. The servants say they never saw anybody so much in love as he was: he was after her continually. They used to watch him -- servants will, you know, ma'am -- and he set store on her past everything: for all, nobody but him thought her so very handsome. She was a little small thing, they say, almost like a child. I never saw her myself; but I've heard Leah, the house-maid, tell of her. Leah liked her well enough. Mr. Rochester was about forty, and this governess not twenty; and you see, when gentlemen of his age fall in love with girls, they are often like as if they were bewitched. Well, he would marry her."

I didn't know why, but her cheeks had turned red and her eyes had a sharp look in them. In an irritated tone she said:

"You shall tell me this part of the story another time, but now I have a particular reason for wishing to hear all about the fire. Was it suspected that this lunatic, Mrs. Rochester, had any hand in it?"

"You've hit it, ma'am: it's quite certain that it was her, and nobody but her, that set it going. She had a woman to take care of her called Mrs. Poole -- an able woman in her line, and very trustworthy, but for one fault -- a fault common to a deal of them nurses and matrons -- _she kept a private bottle of gin by her_, and now and then took a drop over-much. It is excusable, for she had a hard life of it: but still it was dangerous; for when Mrs. Poole was fast asleep after the gin and water, the mad lady, who was as cunning as a witch, would take the keys out of her pocket, let herself out of her chamber, and go roaming about the house, doing any wild mischief that came into her head. They say she had nearly burnt her husband in his bed once: but I don't know about that. However, on this night, she set fire first to the hangings of the room next her own, and then she got down to a lower storey, and made her way to the chamber that had been the governess's -- (she was like as if she knew somehow how matters had gone on, and had a spite at her) -- and she kindled the bed there; but there was nobody sleeping in it, fortunately. The governess had run away two months before; and for all Mr. Rochester sought her as if she had been the most precious thing he had in the world, he never could hear a word of her; and he grew savage -- quite savage on his disappointment: he never was a wild man, but he got dangerous after he lost her. He would be alone, too. He sent Mrs. Fairfax, the housekeeper, away to her friends at a distance; but he did it handsomely, for he settled an annuity on her for life: and she deserved it -- she was a very good woman. Miss Adèle, a ward he had, was put to school. He broke off acquaintance with all the gentry, and shut himself up like a hermit at the Hall."

" What! Did he not leave England?" she exclaimed.

"Leave England? Bless you, no! He would not cross the door-stones of the house, except at night, when he walked just like a ghost about the grounds and in the orchard as if he had lost his senses -- which it is my opinion he had; for a more spirited, bolder, keener gentleman than he was before that midge of a governess crossed him, you never saw, ma'am. He was not a man given to wine, or cards, or racing, as some are, and he was not so very handsome; but he had a courage and a will of his own, if ever man had. I knew him from a boy, you see: and for my part, I have often wished that Miss Eyre had been sunk in the sea before she came to Thornfield Hall."

"Then Mr. Rochester was at home when the fire broke out?" She asked a look of concern on her face.

"Yes, indeed was he; and he went up to the attics when all was burning above and below, and got the servants out of their beds and helped them down himself, and went back to get his mad wife out of her cell. And then they called out to him that she was on the roof, where she was standing, waving her arms, above the battlements, and shouting out till they could hear her a mile off: I saw her and heard her with my own eyes. She was a big woman, and had long black hair: we could see it streaming against the flames as she stood. I witnessed, and several more witnessed, Mr. Rochester ascend through the sky-light on to the roof; we heard him call 'Bertha!' We saw him approach her; and then, ma'am, she yelled and gave a spring, and the next minute she lay smashed on the pavement."

"Dead?"

"Dead! Ay, dead as the stones on which her brains and blood were scattered."

"Good God!"

"You may well say so, ma'am: it was frightful!" I shuddered as I remember the sight.

"And afterwards?" she asked

"Well, ma'am, afterwards the house was burnt to the ground: there are only some bits of walls standing now."

"Were any other lives lost?"

"No -- perhaps it would have been better if there had."

"What do you mean?"

"Poor Mr. Edward!" he ejaculated, "I little thought ever to have seen it! Some say it was a just judgment on him for keeping his first marriage secret, and wanting to take another wife while he had one living: but I pity him, for my part."

"You said he was alive?" and she turned pale again.

"Yes, yes: he is alive; but many think he had better he dead."

She started trembling and I was afraid this concerned lady would faint if she heard the truth so I lingered in saying it.

"Why? How? Where is he? Is he in England?"

"Ay -- ay -- he's in England; he can't get out of England, I fancy -- he's a fixture now. He is stone blind" I said at last. "Yes, he is stone-blind, is Mr. Edward." I could feel tears at the back of my eyes even then when I thought of the sweet little boy that I used to play with.

"What has caused this calamity?" she asked somehow relieved.

"It was all his own courage, and a body may say, his kindness, in a way, ma'am: he wouldn't leave the house till every one else was out before him. As he came down the great staircase at last, after Mrs. Rochester had flung herself from the battlements, there was a great crash -- all fell. He was taken out from under the ruins, alive, but sadly hurt: a beam had fallen in such a way as to protect him partly; but one eye was knocked out, and one hand so crushed that Mr. Carter, the surgeon, had to amputate it directly. The other eye inflamed: he lost the sight of that also. He is now helpless, indeed -- blind and a cripple."

"Where is he? Where does he now live?"

"At Ferndean, a manor-house on a farm he has, about thirty miles off: quite a desolate spot."

"Who is with him?"

"Old John and his wife: he would have none else. He is quite broken down, they say."

She then asked me for any sort of transport and was quite in a hurry to reach Ferndean Manor. She even promised to pay me twice the usual price if she reached there before nightfall."

"Did you not asked who she was?" Mr. Bates asked.

"No, not then-- but I know now."

"She is the present Mrs. Rochester."

"Really?"

"Yes, and the former governess."

"The former governess! She came back?"

"Yes she did. They-- loved each other you know."

"Yes, one can tell." Said Mr., Baits lost in thought.


End file.
